First of all I would like to thank all the Andover Beacon staff for all they do in keeping the newspaper on going. I enjoy reading the Beacon from the first page through the last page.

In the August Andover Beacon, Janet Moore gave an opinion and indicated that if I was elected as State Rep in November that I “would be unwilling to work with moderate members of their own caucus and others for bipartisan solutions to the state’s challenges.” To my knowledge I have never met nor conversed with Ms. Moore. The statement was just an opinion. I am willing to work with anyone for solutions to the State’s challenges, but I will never agree to nor will I vote for a sales tax, income tax, or any tax increases for the taxpayers of New Hampshire. Nor will I ever vote for any bill that goes against the New Hampshire Constitution or the United States Constitution.

I have found over the years that many people think money grows on trees so to speak, and we can spend, spend, spend. It is time that the State of New Hampshire lives within its means and cut the budget. This is what we do in our homes, and the State needs to do the same. The Legislature cannot expect to obtain a balanced budget by increasing taxes on the backs of the taxpayers.

As for passing and implementing more taxes for big business and the wealthy, it does not work. Big business and the wealthy have accountants and lawyers that know how to find the loopholes, then the ordinary taxpayer pays the impact of additional needed taxes.  I have nothing against the wealthy, to me unless it has been inherited most people work day and night for many years, giving up many pleasures in life to obtain their goals. To me they have earned their wealth.

It is not the government’s job to take care of us. New Hampshire government’s task is to protect and uphold the Constitution, for example, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, jury trials, natural rights, religious freedoms, right to bear arms, and unreasonable searches.

There are many Federal government, State government, and private organization programs to help people in need. I believe New Hampshire is well endowed with programs. One of the problems is that most people do not know these programs exist or where to look for them.  We have to do a better job.

Health care coverage is a huge issue, and I understand it completely.  But people that believe that health care costs and lack of affordable insurance is a new occurrence. These people are wrong. A lack of affordable health insurance has been an ongoing issue for years and years. Let me give you an example. When our three children were born, we had no health insurance nor could we afford health insurance. Sound familiar? My husband and I spent many years at $5 a month paying off those bills. My own personal feelings are that it is not the government’s job to manage health care. Rather the markets should be opened up across state lines. Look at the limited number of companies we have in New Hampshire. There is no competition. Limited or no competition leads to higher costs.

On another subject, Representative Ken Wells  mentioned in the Andover Beacon last month that even though the Legislature had to meet at the New Hampshire Whittemore hockey center, he indicated that there is actually little to report. I disagree. The House started meeting in June.  Following are some of the bills voted on by the House in their sessions:  HB 1162, HB1249, HB 685, HB 1166, HB 1230, HB 1280, HB 1375, HB 705, HB 1240, HB 1645, HB 1454, HB 1558, HB 1266 to name a few. A report on some of these bills would have been helpful to the people of Andover, Danbury, and Salisbury as to what had occurred after the Legislature had been closed for three months. I am sure the citizens would have liked the report.

I’m an optimist and even though life has been tipped upside down for all of us, I do believe we can eventually turn everything around and get our lives and government financially back to where they were prior to March 2020.

No matter what else happens in life, vote on Primary day, September 8, either at the polls in person, or by absentee ballot if needed. The right to vote is a privilege and should not be taken for granted.